As mobile communication network data increases explosively, operators hope that, in addition to providing a “transmission” pipe function, a current network can also provide an “information” pipe function, so as to implement information openness. In a mobile communication network, there are multiple uses for collecting location information of a mobile subscriber, for example, data analysis used in multiple industries. For example, location information may be used for transportation planning of a “smart city”. Population distribution is analyzed by using location information of mobile subscribers, so as to carry out work in, for example, smart transportation planning.
In the prior art, there is a method for acquiring location information of a user. Specifically, user equipment (UE) may locate a location of the user equipment by using a satellite, for example, locating by using a global positioning system (GPS). After a user logs in to a server by using an application program installed on the user equipment, the user equipment locates the location of the user equipment by using the satellite and reports location information to the server, and the server performs a further application operation according to the location information reported by the user equipment.
It is found that an application scenario of acquiring the location information of the user in the prior art is greatly limited, and universality is poor.